March Daily Drabbles
by Relativity1953
Summary: Connected drabbles, 31 story parts, about the boys' latest hunt. One per day, though not posted daily; true drabbles at 100 words a piece.
1. drabbles 1 to 5

In trying to think of a drabble theme for this month, I happened to remember that March has 31 days. The number 31 reminds me of my childhood, when my father and I would walk to Baskin-Robbins (also known as '31 Flavors') for chocolate malts. So, I looked up the history of Baskin-Robbins and found what the original 31 flavors were – and I am using one flavor per drabble.

So, rather than these drabbles being unrelated, they will be a story of 31 drabble-parts. Since I did a bit of research, I decided to use some names, places, and facts in Baskin-Robbins' history. But, while doing this, the story will be complete fiction and I mean no disrespect towards anyone or anything. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

3.1.10

**flavor**: Vanilla

"So," Sam said from behind his laptop, "I think I found us a job."

"What is it?"

When Sam hestitated, Dean looked up from the silver knife he was sharpening and asked again.

"Um, promise me you won't laugh."

"What are you talking about?"

"Actually, promise me you won't get over-excited."

"So which is it, Sammy?" Dean smirked. "Is the job embarrassing or is it..." he paused, trying to find the right words, "just embarrassing to you?"

Sam huffed and glared at his brother.

"OK, OK," Dean relented. "So, what is this job that is neither amusing nor provocative?"

"Well..."

* * *

3.2.10

**flavor**: French Vanilla

"A haunted ice cream parlor?" Dean snorted.

"Yes," Sam grumbled, "for the twentieth time, YES."

Dean laughed and shook his head as they both climbed into their seats in the car to drive off to their next hunt.

"First of all," Dean said, turning his key and taking a second to savor his baby's purr, "don't exaggerate. I may have asked three times (and they both knew that he had, in fact, asked Sam to repeat the job exactly three times), but definitely not twenty. And second, don't get all snippy with me. You knew I would enjoy this hunt."

* * *

3.3.10

**flavor**: Rocky Road

"Yes, Dean, I did know that you would enjoy this job," Sam admitted with a pout, ignoring the first part of Dean's rebuttal, "and that's why I warned you not to laugh."

"And that was very silly of you, Sam. You also know that the surest way to get me to laugh at something is to tell me not to. Add to that your uncertainty in telling me about the details of the job in the first place - there was absolutely no way I was not going to laugh. Just admit it - you knew I was going to laugh, Sammy."

* * *

3.4.10

**flavor**: Coffee Candy

Sam thought about arguing some more, then realized he didn't really care that Dean had laughed at him - was still laughing at him, laughing at the hunt that Sam had found for them. It just felt really good to hear his big brother laugh again. Call him sentimental, but he had truly missed the sound.

He also would never, EVER tell Dean that.

Instead, he turned up the music (at which Dean raised an eyebrow) and sat back, relaxing while his brother drove the four hours from Las Vegas, Nevada to Glendale, California. It wasn't long before Sam fell asleep.

* * *

3.5.10

**flavor**: Pineapple Sherbet

"Welcome to the Snowbird Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shop," a chipper teenage girl in a white, brown, and pink striped uniform and matching forage cap said as the bell over the entrance anounced their arrival. "Do you know what you'd like or would you care for a sample spoon (she gestured towards a clear plastic bin filled with tiny pink spoons) of any of our flavors (sweeping her arm towards the ice cream array in the dipping display cabinet between them)?"

If Sam hadn't just woken up - well, been pulled from the car - he may have been able to respond.


	2. drabbles 6 to 9

3.6.10

**flavor**: Peach

Dean gave the girl - Robin, her nametag said - the usual spiel as Sam took a seat. Once again, they were struggling authors trying to write a Haunted America style book and heard some strange things had been happening here at the little ice cream shop. Unfortunately, Robin - chipper as before - told him that she had no idea what he was talking about and the shop was a perfectly wonderful place to work.

"Think this place might be a bust," Dean told his brother as he sat across from Sam, handing over a peach milkshake.

"Actually, you're on the right track."

* * *

3.7.10

**flavor**: Lemon Custard

The Winchesters looked up at the only other person in the ice cream shop, another worker named Ben. The teenager had been sweeping lost toppings from under the tables in the shop when they had arrived. Now, he nervously looked toward the door Robin had disappeared through.

"Your co-worker doesn't think so," Dean told him.

"Yeah," Ben mumbled, "she's programmed to deny."

"Excuse me," Sam looked at the boy and noticed something. "Ben, are you hiding something from Robin... or protecting her?"

"Look," Ben said, glancing again at where Robin was hidden, "I can tell you everything, just not here."

* * *

3.8.10

**flavor**: Chocolate

The Snowbird was located a block away from an elementary school, behind which was a small playground. The Winchesters were sitting on a bench by one of the slides when Ben walked up to them.

"What's with all the secrecy, kid?" Dean asked.

"Robin's family just moved back into town. She thinks she's hiding it, but we all know that her grandmother was Shirley Dunkin."

"The actress?" Dean asked.

"You're thinking 'Sandy'," Sam told him.

"No, Shirley Dunkin," Ben repeated, like it was supposed to mean something. "As in Shirley Verotty?"

"Ah," Sam said.

"And that would be...?" Dean asked.

* * *

3.9.10

**flavor**: Chocolate Ribbon

"You never listen when I talk, do you?" Sam huffed.

"What?" Sam was about to repeat himself when he saw the smirk on Dean's face.

"Jerk," Sam mumbled.

"Bitch."

"Guys!" Ben cut in.

"Right," Sam said, "Shirley Verotty was the daughter of the owner and founder of The Snowbird Ice Cream Shop."

"And," Ben said, "was the center of a love triangle."

"Center?" Dean asked.

"You know what I mean," Ben rolled his eyes. "Two of the shop guys were in love with her, fought over her all the time. Shirley wouldn't make a choice - they died because of it."


	3. drabbles 10 to 14

3.10.10

**flavor**: Date Nut

"Melodrama aside," Sam said as they entered their motel room, "Ben's right about one thing. The two kids did die at the shop."

"How do you die at an ice cream shop?" Dean asked, looking at his brother. "Oh."

"Will Burton and James Irvine," Sam nodded and began reading an article he had printed, "were discovered at The Snowbird this morning after a local man called the store manager to complain that no one had opened the shop. Rita Breyer came in, served the man, then began opening procedures. She discovered the boys in freezer at around 10:00 am."

* * *

3.11.10

**flavor**: Green Mint Stick

"The shop closed at 9:00 pm. Since Will was scheduled to open again the next morning, no one noticed there was a problem until someone came to pick up an order."

"What about these kids' parents?" Dean asked.

"James lived in a room above his parents' garage with a seperate entrance. Will's parents were out of town."

"What about a safety catch? Aren't walk-in freezers supposed to have security measures in place?"

"This was a long time ago," Sam said sadly. "There was an alarm bell, but they were the only two there. There was no one to alert."

* * *

3.12.10

**flavor**: Coffee

There wasn't much information about what sort of 'strange' things happened at the shop in any of the reports Sam found. They knew there had been two deaths, but they had happened long ago. What would cause the ghost or ghosts to start acting out now?

Deciding to call it a night, the Winchesters decided to hit The Snowbird again first thing in the morning. They hoped the workers could give them more gossip and that no one in their right mind would be ready for ice cream at 8:00 in the morning.

Dean just hoped they served coffee.

* * *

3.13.10

**flavor**: Butterscotch Ribbon

As before, a teenage girl and boy were working at The Snowbird. This time, the boy was behind the counter and the girl was refilling napkin dispensers on the tables. Dean gave them the same story as he had Robin - this time with much better results.

"Ben called me," the girl - Maggie - said as she joined the group. "You really want to know about the shop?" Fear and excitement at war in her voice.

"We sure do," Dean said with a kind (not seductive) smile. She was a teenager and he wasn't - no matter what others may think - a sleazebag.

* * *

3.14.10

**flavor**: Banana Nut Fudge

"Well," the boy - Jerry - said, equally excited, "first thing you should know - it focuses on Robin."

"Robin?" Sam was surprised. "I thought she didn't believe anything was wrong here."

"She either was brought up to ignore the stories," Maggie told them, "or is in total denial."

"See," Jerry continued, "nothing happens to her directly. Things just happen when she's around."

"What sort of things?" Dean asked.

"Well," Maggie started, "the first time she stepped foot through those doors, all the lights in the display cases went out. Wouldn't come back on until she finished filling out her application and left."


	4. drabbles 15 to 19

3.15.10

**flavor**: Fudge Ribbon

"And then there was the freezer incident," Maggie said, nodding towards Jerry.

"What?" Dean and Sam asked together.

"It was a stupid mistake," he said. "We all know that we aren't supposed to go to the freezer together. We never work alone - there's always at least one other person on shift. And we're never supposed to go in the freezer at the same time."

"Good rule," Dean told him.

"Yeah, even with all the new safety precautions, Rita Breyer never got over finding Will and James, and the rules stayed in place even after she retired. But..."

"But?" Sam urged.

* * *

3.16.10

**flavor**: Chocolate Fudge

"I needed to grab some ice cream buckets. It was late and we needed five different flavors. Those things weigh a ton - you're can only get one at a time or use the trolley, but one of the trolley wheels was busted. So, Ben and I decided to try a bucket brigade thing."

"Wait," Dean smiled. "You and Ben? As in, Ben and Jerry?"

"Dean," Sam grumbled. "So what happened?"

"I grabbed the first bucket, handed it off, then went for a second. As soon as Ben put down the first and turned for the next, the door slammed shut."

* * *

3.17.10

**flavor**: Chocolate Mint

"We tried the safety release handle but nothing happened. I freaked out but Ben remembered the alarm bell. It was lucky we were training Robin..."

"Robin was there?" Sam interrupted.

"Yeah," Jerry said. "Good thing, too. We were scheduled to close by ourselves. If Robin hadn't just been hired and assigned to train twice with opening and closing crews..."

"You could've been the next Will and James," Dean finished when Jerry, almost green in his pallor, couldn't.

"No," a girl said, walking in with Ben and a couple others, "if Robin wasn't here, it wouldn't've happened in the first place."

* * *

3.18.10

**flavor**: Chocolate Chip

"That's not fair, Candy," Maggie told the newcomer. Apparently, The Snowbird staff, sans Robin, came to the shop to tell the Winchesters their weird stories.

Candy told them about the night she had to sweep glass from the floor though nothing made of glass had broken. The other girl - Edy - showed them the scar on her arm where she had been burned by the 'warm' water basins where the scoops were kept. Graham, Jimmy, and Ben basically just added details and odd little occurrences they had noticed.

When Dean noticed the opening day photo on the wall, things got interesting.

* * *

3.19.10

**flavor**: Chocolate Almond

Dean called Sam over but everyone gathered around.

"Is that a picture of..." Sam started.

"Yep."

"Robin is a dead ringer for her grandmother," Sam said.

"No pun intended," Dean said without a hint of humor.

So that settled it. The ghosts of Will Burton and James Irvine were once again at odds with one another because 'Shirley' (or rather, Robin) was back at The Snowbird. And the Winchesters knew how to put the ghosts to rest once more and restore a safe workplace for the teenagers at the ice cream shop.

Tonight, the Winchesters would go to the graveyard.


	5. drabbles 20 to 24

3.20.10

**flavor**: Vanilla Burnt Almond

After the ice cream shop kids' stories and their own experiences with ghosts that resisted eternal rest, the Winchesters thought the salt and burn of the evening would go a little less smoothly. There'd been the initial difficulty locating the graves, though that was only due to the unkempt nature surrounding them - the map Sam found was pretty direct. Digging was always strenuous, but nothing they weren't used to. The wind picked up a bit as they salted the remains and the first match was blown out. But, it was easier than the boys expected.

Then, Sam's cell phone rang.

* * *

3.21.10

**flavor**: Black Walnut

"Who's that?" Dean asked as Sam checked the caller ID.

"The Snowbird. Gave the kids my number... just in case."

When Sam answered, the sounds of chaos reached Dean at the opposite side of the grave.

"What did you do?!" a female voice yelled over the pandemonium.

"What's happening?" Sam asked, not sure who he was speaking to.

"They've gone crazy! Whatever you did made them mad, now..."

The voice cut out and Sam could hear that the telephone receiver had dropped. No one picked it up again and Sam could hear screams and demolition at the ice cream parlor.

* * *

3.22.10

**flavor**: Peppermint Stick

Sam ran towards the Impala with Dean close behind. They weren't sure what was happening but knew that the open graves could wait to be filled. The kids at the shop might not be so lucky.

Dean drove from the cemetery to the ice cream parlor in half the time it took to get from the parlor to the cemetery. Skidding into the parking lot, the Winchesters could see less than half of the lights blinking on and off; the rest off completely. The cars in the lot were the same now as when they left, save one.

Robin's car.

* * *

3.23.10

**flavor**: Egg Nog

Dean recognized the near-new egg-colored sedan as having been the only car in the lot on the first day they visited the shop. It was the only 'new' car in the lot since the Winchesters were here last.

"She's here," he told Sam without further explanation - it wasn't necessary.

Sam nodded and they got out of the Chevy. Sam handed over Dean's sawed off - they were both already armed from the cemetery, leaving nothing incriminating behind.

Dean opened the door of the Snowbird, and he and Sam entered carefully. There was no sign of life (or afterlife) in the shop.

* * *

3.24.10

**flavor**: Orange Sherbet

There were glass shards and ceramic pieces all over the floor from apparently every dish the shop carried. A strange sort of strobe effect lit the dining area - only a third of the fluorescents seemed to be working and were all blinking at different intervals.

Sam walked around the display counter and found the telephone receiver dangling by its cord from the wall-mounted base. The base was impaled with ceramic bits, as was the surrounding wall.

"It's after eleven," Dean said quietly from the kitchen doorway. "The shop closes at nine. What were they all doing here?"

"Waiting for us."


	6. drabbles 25 to 28

sorry for the slight delay - I was lucky enough to get the stomach flu. hopefully, the rest of my family will not be so *lucky*

* * *

3.25.10

**flavor**: Lemon Sherbet

"Ben?" Dean called out, voice still subdued in the eerie quiet. "Maggie?"

"Jerry?" Sam joined in. There was really no chance that the ghosts didn't know they were there, and they needed to make sure the kids were safe. "Edy?"

"Psst!" they heard and turned to find Maggie peering out from the women's bathroom. Sam hurried over while keeping a watchful eye on the shop; Dean followed, backing towards the bathroom so they wouldn't be snuck up on.

"You all okay?" Sam asked, seeing five frightened, scratched up teens nod. The Winchesters still needed to find Ben, Graham, and Robin.

* * *

3.26.10

**flavor**: Strawberry

For some reason, the ghosts seemed to stay away from the women's bathroom. Still, Sam handed Maggie a canister of salt and told her to line the room with it. Surprisingly, none of the kids asked him any questions - just closed the door and did as they were told.

Further down the hallway from the bathrooms, the Winchesters found Ben and Graham in the manager's office. Graham was sporting some nasty bruises on his arms - from some flying napkin dispensers - but both boys were relatively unharmed. Dean gave Ben his salt canister, giving the same speech Sam had.

"Where's Robin?"

* * *

3.27.10

**flavor**: Raspberry Sherbet

The question was barely out of Dean's mouth when he was knocked off his feet, sliding further down the hallway.

"Dean!" Sam took off towards his brother after telling the boys to close and salt the office. He ran past what looked like a break room, noticing Robin standing inside, frozen in place but for nervous fiddling of a chain around her neck.

He reached Dean just as his brother was lifting himself from the ground. "You all-" he started, but both brothers were tackled by invisible forces, sending them stumbling in opposite directions.

Sam landed in a supply room.

* * *

3.28.10

**flavor**: Cherry Macaroon

Sam hit one of the metal supply shelves and crumbled. He sat up with a groan just in time to see where his brother landed.

Dean was thrown into the walk-in freezer opposite the supply room, the door slamming shut before Sam could even stand up again.

Sam found the energy to get his feet under himself just in time to dive for cover as hundreds of little, pink plastic sample spoons began hurling themselves at him. He would have laughed at the absurdity had the spoons not imbedded themselves in the boxes and tubs where he had just been.


	7. drabbles 29 to 31

3.29.10

**flavor**: Burgundy Cherry

Though he knew it was pointless, Dean still tried the freezer door. Failing, he felt around for a lightswitch, then turned and came face to face with one of the late Snowbird employees. Before he could lift his shotgun - which he amazingly managed to keep hold of - he was thrown into the opposite wall.

Sam managed to get out of the supply room - sporting more cuts through his clothing that his wardrobe budget would be happy with - and tried opening the freezer door to no avail. In his peripheral vision, he saw Robin timidly step out of the break room.

* * *

3.30.10

**flavor**: Maple Nut

"It's them, isn't it?" Sam could tell she was hoping he would have a logical explanation. But he wasn't going to lie to her.

"Think," he demanded, still pulling on the freezer door, "this is your family's shop. What could be keeping them here?"

"I don't know!" she threw her arms out, and that's when Sam saw her necklace - her old, tarnished locket. See seemed to understand what he was thinking, her eyes growing wide. "It was hers!"

They moved towards one another as she pulled the locket off, opening it. Inside were two pictures. Sam recognized them both immediately.

* * *

3.31.10

**flavor**: Lemon Crisp

"We need to salt and burn it," he told her, pulling lighter fluid from his pocket. He could still hear the thumping sounds of his brother being thrown around in the freezer.

As he took out his lighter, Sam was knocked down again and dragged to the supply room. Soon, he was dodging spoons, scoops, and various other supplies. Just as a large portion control scale started hovering toward him, it dropped and all was quiet.

Sam hobbled to the doorway and saw Dean crawling from the freezer. In the hall, Robin stood over the remains of her grandmother's locket.

* * *

*

I feel I must apologize for the abrupt ending, however, I ran out of words. I could have done an epilogue outside of the one-a-day drabbles but I am really terrible with them. Basically, the ghosts are gone, the ice cream parlor is safe once again, and the Winchesters clean themselves up and leave for their next hunt. I could try and write it out in more detail, but I am leaving it as is.

As a consolation/parting gift, how about a run down on where I got the characters' names? First of all, the ghosts' first names – William and James – is a nod to Will Sparrow and James Norrington from the recent 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movies. I was trying to think of good names for two guys in love with the same girl and they were the first ones to pop into my head. Shirley's last name – Verotty – was one of my own creations, combining the girls' names of one of the most famous girl-boy-girl love triangles ever – Betty and Veronica.

Most of the names, as I am sure everyone figured out, relate to ice cream. The shop kids' names were: Ben, Jerry (of Ben & Jerry's), Jimmy (a common name for the colorful sprinkles), Graham (I was kind of stretching, but I have seen graham crackers as an ice cream topping), Maggie (of Maggie Moo's), Edy (in the eastern US it is Edy's, to the west it is called Dreyer's), and Candy (another topping). There was also a quick mention of a past manager named Rita, taken from Rita's Water Ice (a frozen custard and Italian ice shop).

Also, Robin is rather obvious since I used the Baskin-Robbins' 31 flavors as my guide. The last names of the ghosts refer to the first names of the B-R founders – Burton "Burt" Baskin and Irvine "Irv" Robbins. Shirley Robbins was Irv's sister and married Burt. Snowbird Ice Cream was Irv's shop before he and Burt merged their parlors, and the color of the kids' uniforms and the pink spoons come straight from Baskin-Robbins.

* * *

One last thing – rather than drabbles next month, I will be posting daily facts about Autism. April is Autism Awareness Month and April 2nd is World Autism Day. With both of my boys on the spectrum, I feel compelled to get some facts out there. Feel free to visit my LiveJournal page (my name is the same) to view any of the posts. Thank You!


End file.
